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There used to be nearly 50 Starbucks in NZ; now there 22 - "they struggled to make money, so we closed them," said the company this week.

The bean counters admit they had a hard job converting Kiwis to their ubiquitous cup of Joe - "We think a lot of that is to do with the existing coffee culture."

Yep. Whanganui is a prime example of that - a growing number of excellent and distinctive cafes with strong coffee brands. If Starbucks ever came here to reconnoitre, they came, they saw ... they turned away with a shrug.

The company now targets the tourist market in New Zealand - people from overseas comforted by a logo they recognise and a taste of familiarity.

We haven't missed much.

But one thing I will miss is another franchise that has had its struggles - not because its product wasn't good, but because the times turned against it.